Oman at UNESCO General Conference
The Sultanate of Oman is taking part in the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which was held at the organisation’s headquarters in the French capital, Paris.
The event saw the participation of UNESCO member states and representatives of international organisations and civil society institutions.
Dr Madiha bint Ahmed bin Nasser Al Shibaniyah, Minister of Education and Chairperson of the Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, noted in her speech to the Conference that Oman shares the calls of countries around the world to stop the illegal and inhumane war being waged by the Israeli occupation against civilians and defenceless innocents in the Gaza Strip.
This war, added the Minister, is causing the destruction of infrastructure, archaeological sites, museums, mosques and churches.
Dr Madiha urged UNESCO to fulfil its moral and humanitarian obligations to call for an immediate ceasefire, protect civilians and enable the entry of urgent humanitarian aid into Gaza. She also called on the free world to protect schools, universities and places of worship, as well as the historical and cultural sites of the Palestinian people.
She said that an urgent plan should be devised so that UNESCO can play a role in helping the Palestinian people, empowering them in sustainable development programmes, combating poverty and restoring and maintaining heritage, cultural and historical monuments.
She explained that this dangerous escalation requires reason and wisdom, giving priority to the humanitarian dimension and promoting a culture of peace and dialogue. Dr Madiha added that it also requires rejecting violence, extremism and hate speech, as well as spreading understanding about international humanitarian law and the legal obligations that countries bear during wars and armed conflicts.
Dr Madiha underlined the Sultanate’s keenness to give priority to a policy of tolerance and dialogue, as well as rejecting violence and addressing the causes of the conflict. She also highlighted Oman’s efforts to convey its cultural experience in tolerance, coexistence and understanding, through the “Message of Peace from the Sultanate of Oman” exhibition, which has been staged more than 600 times around the world. The latest exhibition was held at UNESCO’s headquarters in July.
At the conclusion of her speech, Dr Madiha spoke of Oman’s commitment to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the fourth goal on education.
The Sultanate of Oman’s delegation to the Conference includes Hamad Saif Al Hammami, Oman's Permanent Representative to UNESCO; Dr Jokha Abdullah Al Shukaili, CEO of the Oman Authority for Academic Accreditation and Educational Quality Assurance and Amna Salim Al Balushi, Secretary of the Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.
It also includes representatives from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation; the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth; the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources; the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology; the Environment Authority and Sultan Qaboos University.
This is an unofficial English version of an Arabic report. To view the official Arabic text, click here.